We began this blog in 2009 as a forum to discuss the ongoing Climate negotiations sponsored by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). While we serve as Official Observers of the Association of American Geographers, opinions expressed on this blog belong solely to the authors and are not intended to represent the official position of the Association of American Geographers or of its membership.

Monday, November 1, 2010

When The Water Ends

One of the most difficult aspects of understanding just how a changing climate will manifest itself is that many of the environmental responses will be different from place to place. By all accounts, the most vulnerable locations are likely to be those regions already at the highest risk of experiencing water stress. Marginal lands where drought is common like Sub-Saharan Africa or the Great Plains.

The website Yale environment 360 recently posted an excellent (and short) 16 minute video describing the political and social fallout from changing patterns of precipitation and water availability near the border between Ethiopia and Kenya occurring over the last decade. It is a provocative look at how hunger, political instability, armed conflict, and patterns of humanitarian aid are all directly related to water. It underscores the real importance of climate to all of us. This issue is not just about the esoteric mechanics of atmospheric chemistry.

Climate change is also about shifting ecosystems, changing patterns of water availability, economic security, political stability, and social unrest. It is about what happens when the water ends. Take a look, I've linked to it below...